Grant Schmidt

I have had a positive experience with Dr Schmidt. He takes the time to explain everything to you, the pros and cons of the next step and the risks that go along with them. For our situation with unexplained infertility he has been very comforting when the results are not as we had hoped for and honest about what he thinks our next steps should be without being pushy. I appreciated that he did not put me through extra surgery that he did not feel necessary and was very honset with my husband and I about the risks and benefits of the exploratory surgery so we could make the best decision for us. He has always taken his time and been very through during exams. I would highly recommend Dr Schmidt to anyone.

Ask all the questions you can think of. He is willing to take the time to answer any and all concerns that you have.

We have unexplained infertility. When we first saw Dr. Schmidt all our tests came back normal so we were put on oral medication with timed intercourse. When this did not work after a cycle we moved to oral medication with trigger shot and IUI. Since all of our numbers were very normal and the cycles were going good (on paper) but we were not getting pregnant we continued this route for 5 cycles. Then we moved to injectible medication for three cycles with iui. When those failed doctor Schmidt recommended we move on to ivf since we still had no answers. Our protocol for ivf was down regulation then stemming with gonal-f, menopur and certitude. I believe this is a pretty standard protocol for an ivf cycles. Our cycle ended with one pre-blast embryo that did not result in a pregnancy. Dr Schmidt was very comforting in our post ivf consultation and we have discussed different protocols for the next ivf cycle. We have an appointment in late March to discuss what next steps will be taken. I was disappointed that when asked I was not given any changes to diet or supplements that may help our next round of ivf until I brought up research I had done.

I would always try to get there first thing at 7 when the clinic would open. Some days there would already be a line at the door waiting. It would depend on the day you could be there for 2 hours or you could be in and out in 30-45 minutes.

I believe it is the policy of the clinic to only transfer one embryo unless there are specific circumstances.

He made sure we understood the treatment plan at all times and let us know what our options were along the way. He always spoke to us as if we were a special case and not just a number. Our treatment was truly tailored to our specific needs and what we were comfortable with. The nurses were always helpful in planning out prescription delivery and appointments. It was nice to have everything explained in details so we always knew exactly what was going on and what to expect.

Ask as many questions as you need to. He will never tell you what you want to hear, but what the facts of the matter are.

We decided to do injections with timed intercourse. He allowed us to be monitored at our local doctor, as we are over an hour away, with the final ultrasound being at his office. They were always in touch with up to date results and what the next steps of treatment are. Unfortunately we did not have success on the first treatment but we will continue on with more.

So far everything has been sent through insurance

You can tell that he really cares and really wants you to get pregnant. He’s very laid back, maybe sometimes a little to laid back about the treatment, but that’s the only negative thing I can think of. He treats you like a person and explains in detail what he is doing at the moment or what he is going to do with the treatment. He is a very positive, empathetic person.

Take a notebook and write down everything because it is a lot of information.

I did four cycles on Femara and also a trigger shot (hcg). I also did two cycles with Follistim and trigger shots. One of the cycles with the Follistim and trigger shot, I did IUI. These all resulted without any pregnancies.

Each ultrasound is around $300 if my insurance doesn’t cover the whole thing. The hcg shot is $100, and the Follistim boxes are $270. The IUI is about $400. My insurance only covers some of the Ultrasounds. If we have to do IVF, it is about $13,000.00.

If we ever have to go that route, I would rather do multiple embryo transfer.

I really like Dr Schmidt. He was knowledgeable and had good bedside manner. He seemed genuinely interested in helping us to achieve pregnancy. He recommended moving to different medications when it was necessary. I did occasionally feel there was a canned response to how they deal with patients in a protocolized way and not individualized care

Research your options and have baseline knowledge before your appointment so that you can readily participate in your care.

We used letrozole for 5/6 of the cycles for ovulation induction. We started at 5 mg then increased to 7.5 mg for 3 cycles and then we increased up to 10 mg. For the last cycle we used Gonal F injections. 3/6 cycles were successful in producing a dominant follicle. We used 5000 units of HCG to cause ovulation. We had insemination 36 hours following HCG injection. We did not achieve pregnancy

My insurance has stipulations on infertility coverage that have to be met before benefits are active. We paid for our 6 cycles out of pocket except for the letrozole. Ultrasound visits were ~$180, IUI was ~$275, Estrogen lab during a cycle ~$43. Medications were separate, we paid ~$100 for hcg injection, Gonal F was $1900 for the amount I needed, donor sperm was out of pocket as well

I love everything about Dr. Schmidt! He is honest about my diagnosis and my results (good or bad), and doesn't provide false hope or completely kill my dreams like some doctors can do. He explains all of our options so that we can prepare mentally and financially. I have been to other facilities where they give you minimal options and don't allow you much input. I am a nurse and have studied my diagnosis, so I know what options I have. I like that Dr. Schmidt listens to me and works with me instead of just telling me what to do. The only weakness would be that sometimes speaking to nursing staff can not be as timely as I'd like, but since there is the patient portal now I haven't had many issues. Only place I will go for my fertility treatment and I am hopeful that this time around we will be successful!

Write down any questions you may have. He will sit down and answer anything so have them written down so you don't forget anything.

First I did Clomid with timed intercourse. Produced some follicles that matured appropriately but was unsuccessful. Next tried Menopur, Femara, and Bravelle for an attempt at egg retrieval but it was cancelled twice due to poor response.

$5000

No particular approach was preferred or discussed. The goal was just to produce mature follicles and go from there.

Dr. Scmidt is the director of the practice. He is a very nice man and seems knowledgeable, but he does not remember specific things about his patients. After meeting with another doctor, my suspicion regarding his practices being behind the times was confirmed.

Be an advocate for yourself. Ask specific questions because he is very general and vague when replying. He is not a fan of additional testing, you have to ask for specific things or bring them up when meeting with him because he does not do them automatically.

He seems to use the long lupron protocol with all of his patients. He diagnosed me with PCOS, which at this point I am not really sure I have. I did IVF stims for 9.5 days and triggered with an estrogen level of about 1500. We ended up getting 8 eggs, 7 mature, 6 fertilized. We got 3 5 day embryos out of this cycle. The first fresh transfer ended in miscarriage. We had normal rising HCG levels, but when I went for ultrasound at 8 weeks (yes, this clinic does not do an ultrasound until 8 weeks), there was no evidence of pregnancy in my uterus. He assumed ectopic and was going to give me methotrexate. I was spotting and refused the methotrexate until I had an HCG level drawn. At that point, my HCG level was 25, so I was miscarrying on my own. I was glad I stood up for myself and waited to see what was going on before taking the methotrexate, which I didn't need. The second transfer was successful with normal rising HCG levels. I went in for ultrasound at 8 weeks 3 days, saw the heartbeat and was told all was well and was discharged to my OB. Went into by OB around 11 weeks, and had a missed miscarriage. Baby was measuring 8 weeks 1 day. My OB looked at previous ultrasound and at 8 weeks 3 days, baby was measuring a week behind. I wish I would have known this because I would have asked for an earlier follow up ultrasound at the fertility clinic. It wouldn't have changed the outcome, but I could have prevented a miscarriage on Christmas Day as well as several weeks of taking IM progesterone and estrogen, which was both painful and expensive. My third frozen transfer resulted in a negative pregnancy test. I didn't want to do the third transfer with this clinic, but I couldn't leave my last embryo there and we were not able to move the embryo to any other clinic.

This clinic does not have anesthesia, so IVF cycles are about $1000 cheaper that other clinics. IVF was about $8800, meds were about $2000. FET was bout $3000, meds were about $1000.

He always recommended single embryo transfer due to my age (28-30), but it was ultimately our decision.

My overall experience was positive as I ultimately got pregnant. It did take a few visits but I would have done it all again with Dr. Schmidt. He had a personable attitude and explained things that he would see in ultrasounds, etc. in a way I would understand. I would most definitely recommend him to a friend.

If you don't want to be conservative in your treatments, let him know. We started with an IUI treatment that probably should have been avoided and gone straight to IVF, which is more invasive.

I don't recall exact medications and dosages but I did 3 IUI with Femara and an HCG trigger shot and then an IVF with progesterone following the procedure.

Insurance covered a majority of the costs and we paid approximately $5000.

We transferred two embryos and only one carried to full term. I wish that I had only transferred one but was worried I was lessening my chance of pregnancy.

I have been a patient on and off for almost 8 years. I've always been impressed with his knowledge of reproductive health. He does tend to rattle off stats and info rather quickly but will always take the time to throughly explain if you ask for clarification. Dr. Grant has been very mindful of the cost/benefit of procedures as I am totally self pay.

Prepare your questions in advance and don't be afraid to ask something.

My first ivf round was microdose Lupron with Bc. My fsh level was slightly elevated. He assured me at my age I should have some quality eggs left but I may not produce a lot. My estrogen level was almost 1200 but sadly only 2 eggs were retrieved. I was disappointed with this procedure for a couple of reasons. A fresh transfer was planned but on retrieval day (after I had been given Ativan and dilauid) I was told my progesterone was too high and it would be best to freeze. I thought someone would have called prior to my retrieval to tell me. My progesterone came back high two days before my retrieval. We were expecting to retrieve 7, but only got 2. Dr. Grant did not do my retrieval, Dr. Kennard did. I never really got an explanation as why only 2 eggs were retrieved. My second round I was on an antagonist protocol with no Bc. After 6 days of stimms 5 eggs were retrieved. We planned to do a freeze since I needed surgery to remove a uterine polyp.

Ivf cycles were about 7,000 There was a detailed list of costs given prior to starting ivf.

Have not transferred yet

I almost always saw him when I had an appointment. He seemed personable and honest about helping us achieve our goal. There were times when I felt rushed like he needed to see as many patients as possible. I didn't feel like I could ask any questions and needed to wait to speak with the nurses.

Make sure you ask any and all questions while in the office no matter if he made you feel rushed. That is why he is there to help us all achieve our goal.

We started with 4 rounds of a variation of Clomid since I was already on clomid for 5 months with my ob/gyn. During these rounds, Schmidt also monitored be for.ovulation and used a hcg trigger. The dosage was always the same and nothing changed. These didn't work so we moved onto injectable, follistim. I was monitored and also used a hcg trigger. The only change in meds was the last cycle when he increased my follistim from 100 to 150 and added progesterone suppositories for 7days after trigger. The progesteeone was added because it was low the on tge last cycle. All through my medicated cycles, my lining and estrogen was monitored also.

Each office visit cost around $500 and bloodwork was $250 plus medication

I really enjoyed and trusted Dr. Schmidt throughout our 8 cycles of treatment. I had no reason to believe I wasn't receiving the best care. Towards the end of my treatment at ORM is when I started to suspect many things had gone wrong. Through talking to other women and finally seeking a second opinion, I realized we were highly mistreated. I feel extremely let down and I feel like I have a clearer picture now of how ORM operates. I will start with the positive. Dr. Schmidt has a wonderful bedside manner. So compassionate and easy to talk to. I always left feeling positive after meeting with him. He never made me feel like I could lose this battle to infertility, always very hopeful. I preferred Dr. Schmidt over the other 4 doctors there, he seemed to be more personable and positive than others. Now with the negative and honestly the most important factors. I was diagnosed at 18 with PCOS by my OBGYN. I have many of the classic symptoms. High testosterone, and no period unless medicated. From my first appt with Schmidt he laughed and said "Oh no, you do not have PCOS." From that appt forward I was never treated as a poly patient. The next 6 cycles, in my eyes, I was treated appropriately. 2 cycles of Femara plus trigger, and 4 stim shots cycles paired with IUI's. I ovulated each month with strong leading follicles, but did not produce a pregnancy. No concerns with Dr. Schmidt's care. Then we made the decision to move forward with IVF. I was instructed to do the Long Lupron protocol as most patients at ORM I've found. As a true polycisitc patient I overstimulated bad. By day 10 of stims my E2 was about 5000 and I had over 35 follicles. I went from a Wednesday US and blood draw monitoring until Monday. That is where I had a huge jump. I should have been seen that Thurs, Fri, or Sat. I should have been monitored closer. Egg retrieval was extremely painful for me. I retrieved 34 eggs and the pain was unbearable. I then developed OHSS and my fresh transfer was cancelled. Of course it was, I was very sick and was overstimulated. However, I was still overjoyed with the amount of eggs I had and we ultimately had 13 day 5 and 6 embryos that made it to freeze. This was a remarkable number and I knew with 13 embryos we would never have to go through a stim cycle or retrieval again, my heart was beyond hopeful. Skip to my first FET. Schmidt and the embryologist come into the room and say we have 2 great looking embryos to transfer today but 3 also didn't survive the thaw so you went through 5 today. I was stunned. Wasn't expecting that news but still pleased that we transferred 2. Never again did I hear why 3 didn't survive the thaw. Schmidt nor the lab ever addressed it or gave a reason. They just mentioned this rarely happens. So now we have 8 embryos left. Still content and hopeful with that number. Skip to my next FET. That morning the embryologist calls and tells me none of my embryos are surviving the thaw, even mentions to not even head into the office. You can imagine my heartbreak. Finally I get a call, that they were able to save the very last two that were "viable." I didn't know what this meant but was relieved to get this news and we were off. In my gut, as much as I didn't want to accept this news I knew we had slim to no chance of getting pregnant. I knew those last 2 embryos that they transferred something was seriously off or wrong with them. So on that day we started with 8 and now had zero. I did not get pregnant. We were back to step zero. Within 5 months, 13 grade 1 5 day blasts, gone. At this point, my sadness turned to anger. What went wrong? How did this happen? Human error? Was there an error with the freezing or thawing? Was it the quality of my eggs or embryos? My mind was purely racing every day. Our next step was to schedule our follow-up failed consultation. I demanded someone to be present from the lab with Schmidt. I needed all my questions answered. I needed reasons and what we would change moving forward. I was beyond anxious for this appt. We go, I have all my questions typed out, they answer nothing. They have no idea why my embryos didn't survive. They couldn't answer any of my questions. Simply just "try again." That was it. I find this unacceptable. That was my last day at ORM. I have since switched to another doctor and clinic in Columbus and in my short time there I have renewed hope and my suspicions of how I was mistreated and how my embryos were mishandled were instantly gratified. It's been painfully difficult to look back on and accept my journey at ORM. I know there is no guarantee with this world of infertility but as a patient I was left feeling like a number not a cared for patient. I even followed up with a letter to Schmidt and the lab director requesting a few specifics before plunging into another new cycle after all that was lost, and didn't even get a response. That was the icing on the cake. That sealed the deal that I was at the wrong clinic. It's still a very raw, fresh topic for me. I think it will be for a while, but glad we are moving forward with a new doctor. For the 2 years I went to ORM, I recommended Schmidt to everyone and gave him nothing but praise. I no longer will do so.

Push for a tailored protocol at ORM, I feel like if you are remotely outside of the box with your medical case you are SOL. They don't seem to be adapting to the ever-evolving science of infertility. Do your own research, trust your gut, and always be your own biggest advocate. Push.

I feel strongly that ORM really uses the standard protocols on most patients. Especially per doc/per patient. 1. 2 Femara/Trigger shots- ovulated strong. No pregnancy 2. 4 stim cycles/IUI- 75-125units per day of Gonal-F plus trigger. Husband sperm samples very strong and high numbers each cycle. Between 3-10 large size follicles each cycle. No pregnancy 3. IVF- 225 units per day of Gonal-F, 5,000 units of HCG trigger. I overstimulated. 10 days of stims. E2 reached 5,000 I had 35 follicles. 34 eggs retrieved. OHSS. 5 day blasts- 13 embryos make it to freeze 4. FET #1- 2 embryos transferred- 3 die in thaw. Prepped with BC, Lupron, Estradiol shots, PIO shots, antibiotic, steroid. No pregnancy 5. FET # 2- 2 embryos transferred- 6 die in thaw. Prepped with BC, Lupron, Estradiol shots, PIO shots, antibiotic, steroid. No pregnancy

Way too many patients for the early-morning monitoring appts. Seems they are understaffed.

Ultrasounds $300 IUI- $343 Consultation- $300 IVF- $6600 Without meds FET- $2900 Without meds

Doctor Schmidt was very nice and had a much different bedside manner. He wasn't like you traditional stuffy doctor that was looking at you like you were just another weepy lady trying to get pregnant. He let you vent, and cry and show your concerns and your worries without judgement. He was understanding in your feeling as well as well with what you needed medically. I came in to the clinic not knowing what to expect as this was only my 2nd doctor and things were very new. He never promised I would get pregnant like the other doctors but did promise I would ovulate. And I did! After two cycles we became pregnant but we ended up miscarriaging at 6 weeks. After a few more cycles he suggested we do ivf. Which was not in our financial cards. So I had to walk away and find another doctor. Which we did, many in fact.

Be open minded. He is friendly and nice but again he has a different bedside manner. Some many not know how to take it. I thought it was nice but it may not be everyone's cup of tea

For each cycle we would start off with Femara, Estrodial, and then we would add Gonal-f and menopur injections. I was checked two to three times a week by blood and ultrasounds to see my levels and my follicle growth. Then once we were sure the folliclescwere growing we would take an injection that medically induce ovulation. Then 36 hours later timed intercourse and then proceeded with every other day. I was also taking progesterone vaginally. Once my cycle was due to start I would do a pregnancy test, usually blood test as the urine tests don't work. If it came back negative I would stop the progesterone till my cycle started. Sometimes I would take meds to start my period as the progesterone would delay it. And then we would do the same thing again.

*child mentioned* So most importantly, Dr. Schmidt got me pregnant. He and Ohio Reproductive Medicine have the highest success rates in the area. I had my child thanks to them. I saw Dr. Schmidt for an initial consultation and after a few failed cycles when we got a new diagnosis. During actual treatment cycles I saw whoever was available. 3 of the other doctors actually did my IUI and IVF. But it was Dr. Schmidt's protocol. I had some issues with the nurses and a missed diagnosis and Dr. Schmidt was very responsive to my concerns. They gave me a sedative but did not use anesthesia during my IVF retrieval and I found it very painful, which I was not expecting.

Make sure you research what initial testing and monitoring should occur before beginning treatment.

IVF with ICSI was about $9,000. IUI was maybe $500? They were much cheaper than Reproductive Gynecology in Westerville.

Both my husband and I enjoyed our experiences with Dr. Schmidt and I have recommended him to many friends. He was warm and friendly. My diagnosis was unexplained fertility and I am still convinced that I had a hormonal issue (even though it never showed up on tests). He didn't seem to think this was the case, but did allow me the option to try hormone supplements (which I ended up declining due to their ability to give false positives for tests).

If you do your own research prior to visits be sure to bring the articles with you, as well as a list of questions. He was always willing to answer everything I asked.

I started with 2 rounds of Femara (I had done 3 rounds with Clomid with my regular OBGYN) each with an HCG trigger shot. Both had a negative pregnancy test. Next I did a 5 day course of Follistim (3 days of 75 and 2 days of 150) with a trigger shot followed by an IUI. This one was successful (I also produced 13 follicles and overstimulated, which the nurse said may have helped me maintain the pregnancy). I never had issues with ovulation, I always had at least 1 good follicle after each treatment which is probably why I overstimulated with such a low/short trial with the Follistim.

I think between all of the pre-tests (HSG, sperm motility, etc), ultrasounds, blood work, the drugs (Femara and Follistim), and the IUI it was about $5000 but my insurance also wasn't great at the time.

Love the doctor very kind and explained things well. I believe I was kind of underestimated on my infertility being only 23 and 24 when I had my first visits . I spend several months with different medicine and injections that did not lead to pregnancy. I over stimulated on my 1st and only round of injections and that was not explained to me neither was the morning monitoring . I feel like answers are even further away and I'm not sure where to go now

Help explain the process for new patients

1st cycle was letrozle and trigger shot . 2nd follistim trigger and booster Overstimulation on injections and was in lots of pain before period began

Costs varried but nothing to compare them to

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He was absolutely the sweetest man and made every step of this process so easy. At our first visit we knew a diagnosis and next steps. He made me feel like he cared about our success and we weren't just another number through the door.

Ask all the questions! No question is dumb and he is willing to answer all of them and make you feel comfortable

We were started first on the lowest dose of femara and then trigger shot to induce ovulation. We had the same protocol for the third round but we added in the IUI

We paid for the visits, ultrasounds, medications, and IUI. The IUI was a flat fee of $380. The trigger shot was $110 and the femara pills were $2.40

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He was kind but didn’t always seem to know my case specifically, or maybe didn’t remember. Didn’t see him very often for ultrasounds . Felt like he didn’t usually want to spend time answering questions.

He is kind and initially makes you feel like he can help you . It just seems like he gives up on you fast and is in to the next one

Owed amounts always seemed different and staff who told you your balance each visit I could not tell you what it was for. You never recieved a bill explaining amount either

He seemed nice enough but told us about alternate treatments after we had already used less effective method and spent a lot of money. He said he didn’t tell us about the more expensive treatments up front because of the cost. We would have preferred to use the most effective treatments right away, regardless of cost.

Be your own advocate and know your treatment options before you speak to him.

He uses Femara instead of Clomid. We tried 3 cycles of Femara, trigger shots and timed intercourse before we tried 4 cycles of IUI. Finally he suggested we use a combination of Femara, trigger shots, Gonal-F, and IUI.

Somewhere in the $200-400 range per appointment. Medications were in the $100 range monthly.

Dr. Schmidt treated me with respect and i do feel he wanted me to have success. He was compassionate, but not blunt enough when it came to adjusting treatment plans or offering suggestions - i often has to push him for advice on next steps and i felt like he just did the same treatment and meds for everyone and didn’t individualize our needs. I feel like he would have me doing IUIs until the day I die.

Ask questions - he will answer! Demand he give you straightforward answers.

IUI with letrozole. 4 failed cycles one success with miscarriage . One round IUI with Follistim (failed )

IUI Was $256, ultrasounds $389, donor sperm $700 from cryobiology , injections were hundreds.

Dr. Schmidt is patient and he's transparent. We never had a bad visit with this office. We were warned up front that he was a busy doctor who was highly requested but never felt like we didn't matter.

Be patient he's very popular and you might see the other doctors in the practice but he will still be over your care.

Great experience, discovered new issue my previous Doctor did not. My experience at ORM has been completely different that my experience at the other clinic in town.

Write down all your questions. He will answer them.

Iui with femara twice and iui with follistim.. Trigger shots with all.

$350 iui and provide some free injectables to help with costs

He is just a wonderful doctor! I only wish I could deal with just him, but I completely understand why that's not feasible.

Quick and easy, which is wonderful as I'm driving an hour each way while trying to make it to work on time

I always felt comforted and just better after leaving the office. Dr. Schmidt always have me a plan and knowing what to do next made me feel SO much better! The responsibility was no longer on me to know what I should be doing to get pregnant (which obviously wasn’t working).

I only had IUI, so my costs weren’t very high. I did IUI two times, and I think it was somewhere around $350 each time.

Dr Schmidt is relaxed confident and positive. All important traits when you are suffering through infertility. However it’s still very much a businsss and I don’t feel like I’m getting personaliZed attention or care. I also don’t think this practice thinks outside the box. It’s very textbook style.

He’s a solid doc with experience but the practice is outdated and response rates aren’t ideal.